His working class upbringing and his experience as a farm laborer informed his highly praised novel. At 48, Rivera died unexpectedly from a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy as a central figure in Chicana/o literature and education. Following a few years teaching, Rivera pursued a career in administration, becoming the first Mexican-American chancellor of the University of California, Riverside (1979–1984). Rivera graduated from Southwest Texas State University, earning a master’s degree in English and administration, and later from the University of Oklahoma, earning his doctorate in Spanish literature (1969). Tomás Rivera (b. 1935–d. 1984) was born in Crystal City, Texas, the son of Mexican immigrants, and grew up working alongside his parents as a migrant farmworker throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Michigan, and Minnesota.
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